PDF & PostScript
LinkCAD can import PDF and PostScript files and export PostScript with configurable page layout.
| Format |
Extensions |
Import |
Export |
License |
| PDF |
.pdf |
|
— |
Basic |
| PostScript |
.ps, .eps |
|
|
Basic |
Note
PDF and PostScript import requires Ghostscript and pstoedit to be installed. LinkCAD will prompt you to download these if they are not found.
Import Options
Pages
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Page number |
Page to convert (multi-page documents) |
1 |
Arc Resolution
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Segments per 360° |
Number of line segments for a full circle |
72 |
Geometry
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| White areas as holes |
Subtract white shapes from colored shapes |
Off |
| Ignore clipping paths |
Skip clipping path processing |
Off |
Text
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Explode all text |
Convert all text to polylines |
Off |
| Explode special text |
Convert only unusual fonts to polylines |
Off |
Advanced
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Pstoedit options |
Additional command-line flags for pstoedit |
— |
PostScript Export Options
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Paper size |
A3, A4, A5, A6, Executive, Folio, Legal, Letter, or Custom |
A4 |
| Custom size |
Width, height, and margins |
— |
| Landscape |
Rotate page to landscape orientation |
Off |
Layer Layout
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Superimpose layers |
Draw all layers on single page |
On |
| Reverse order |
Superimpose with reversed layer order |
Off |
| Separate vertically |
Stack layers vertically on page |
Off |
| Separate horizontally |
Arrange layers side by side |
Off |
| Layers per page |
Number of layers on each page |
All |
| Black & white |
Ignore layer colors |
Off |
Scaling
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| True scale (1:1) |
Preserve physical dimensions |
Off |
| Custom scale |
User-defined scale factor |
1.0 |
| Fit to page |
Scale to fill the page |
On |
Arc Resolution
| Option |
Description |
Default |
| Segments per 360° |
Arc approximation quality |
72 |
Common Workflows
PDF → GDSII
Extract geometry from PDF documentation or mask review files.
GDSII → PostScript
Generate printable layout plots for design review.
DXF → PostScript
Create scaled printouts of mechanical drawings.
Technical Notes
- PDF import converts vector graphics only — raster images embedded in PDFs are not imported
- PostScript export includes a preview of the page layout
- Multi-page PDF documents can be imported one page at a time
- Text can be preserved as text entities or exploded to polylines for guaranteed visual fidelity
CLI / Command-File Options
These option keys can be used on the command line or in command files.
Import
| Key |
Type |
Description |
PsInDrawText |
int |
Text handling — 1=explode all to paths, 2=explode special only |
PsInIgnoreClipPath |
flag |
Ignore clipping paths |
PsInPage |
int |
Page number to import (multi-page documents) |
PsInPstoeditOptions |
string |
Additional pstoedit command-line flags |
PsInSubtractWhite |
flag |
Subtract white regions from colored shapes |
Export
| Key |
Type |
Description |
PsOutStandardFormat |
int |
Paper size — 0=A3, 1=A4, 2=A5, 3=A6, 4=Executive, 5=Folio, 6=Legal, 7=Letter |
PsOutFormatType |
int |
Paper format type — 0=standard, 1=custom |
PsOutCustomPaperWidthValue |
float |
Custom paper width |
PsOutCustomPaperLengthValue |
float |
Custom paper length |
PsOutPaperMarginValue |
float |
Paper margin |
PsOutPaperUnits |
int |
Paper dimension units (see Units) |
PsOutScaleMode |
int |
Scaling mode — 0=1:1 absolute, 1=custom, 2=fit to page |
PsOutCustomDbScale |
float |
Custom scale factor (when PsOutScaleMode=1) |
PsOutDbScale |
float |
Database scale |
PsOutLandscape |
flag |
Landscape orientation |
PsOutLayout |
int |
Layer layout — 0=superimpose normal, 1=separate vertically, 2=separate horizontally, 3=superimpose reversed |
PsOutLayerCount |
int |
Layers per page |
PsOutBlack |
flag |
Force black & white output |
PsOutPaperLengthPt |
int |
Paper length in points |
PsOutPaperWidthPt |
int |
Paper width in points |